Retention
by CharmedSerenity
Summary: Sometimes the worst of situations can lead towards the best of friendships. One-shot set during Starcrossed, not a slash fic!


**Disclaimer:** I don't own the animated JL universe in any way, shape or form. I wish I did, but I don't.

**Author's Notes:** A big thank you to Trickster91 for beta-reading this for me, and I'd like to say I see Vigilante and Shining Knight as best friends only no more no less!  
This was inspired by a couple of questions running around my head, namely how did Greg and Justin first meet and what exactly happened to the cowboy during the invasion? Add to that I doubt the Thanagarians would have let Vigilante go with an apology and a pat on the back!

Vigilante had been riding the streets of Manhattan on his motorbike, having taken to them the second after those hawks had shown their true colors.

After taking down a few, he had come across a mob of them doing battle with some of the local police-force and moved in to help. The invading hawks were overwhelming them though and the cowboy found himself giving the order to fall back.

"Yer all get goin', Ah'll hold 'em off."

"But..."

"Ah said git!" he barked the order now in a voice that left no room for further arguments as the officers pulled back, leaving their vehicles and taking off on foot fast.

Backing up and continuing to provide cover-fire, the sound of the gunshots drowning out any noises behind him. His attention on those in front of him, he failed to look back as an electric charge hit him dead-center in the back and he fell forward, unable to move and fighting to stay concious. His gaze travelled to the feet that were now surrounding him.

"What do we do, kill him?"

"No, bring him. We hold him until Commander Talak decides to what to do. After all maybe this hero knows where the Justice League is hiding."

His whole body numb now, Vigilante mentally swore as he felt two of them roughly grab his arms and drag him to his feet before he passed out.

* * *

The cowboy stirred and his eyes flew open, cold metal pressed against his forehead as he pushed himself away from it and glanced around. Wherever he was, it was virtually dark with only a few holes drilled into the front, presumably to provide air for a prisoner.

"Damn" Vigilante cursed as he tried to turn around and his elbow banged against a metal wall.

Raising his hands, he began to feel his way around as best he could, his cell felt roughly the size of a high school locker, maybe a bit smaller. That would make it dang hard to sit down.

Slowly dropping to a slight crouch to peer though one of the airholes, he scowled, looked like some kind of alien prison compound with the hawks' own version of an electric fence too, and judging by glimpses of the surrounding countryside he was outside the city somewhere.

Voices came from outside and the cell door opened, revealing at least four or five of those dang hawks as one of them stepped forward and smirked, tugging the whip he held in both hands tighter as he glanced at the cowboy with an amused smirk, like a cat who had just been given a mouse...

* * *

His back was awash with pain, the latest bout of the guards relieving their boredom on him, the only prisoner here it seemed, reopening previous wounds. Their interrogation sessions had proved fruitless, he didn't know the Justice League were or what they were planning, and even if he had, he wasn't going to tell them.

The roar of an engine made him move to look out one of the airholes and he silently cursed, the hawks were flying up to a ship. Once they were on board the vessel turned and left.

The cowboy hit the front of the cell in anger, they were just leaving him here, in this damn cell like some toy that they had grown bored of and no longer cared about. They hadn't left him with any food and more importantly any water.

* * *

How long had he been in here, he wasn't sure! The time had dragged on slowly enough to make it start to feel like an eternity, and he had sung every single song he had performed since his musical career had taken off, then when he had finished all his ballads, switched to his favourite hits by other country artists. Anything to help pass the time and bring relief to the boredom.

In the end though, the cowboy's thoughts began to blurr and he couldn't even focus on the songs anymore. He was so thirsty, his mouth felt uncomfortably dry and his tongue felt thick and furry. Despite barely being able to think straight, his instincts told him one thing that he was going to die here.

A sound cut through the silence and he barely looked up even though he wondered why he had just heard a horse whinneying nearby.

Suddenly the door was ripped open, cleaved right in two as the cowboy automatically backed away from the burst of light that streamed in, his eyes having grown used to the darkness only to stagger and fall forward due to a mix of dizziness and overly stiff muscles.

A pair of hands caught him as he pitched forward and looked up, into a male face about the same age as he was only it was framed by metal and the stranger's eyes shone with concern.

"To think the invaders would be vile enough to do such deeds, art thou alright?" the newcomer inquired, supporting Vigilante as the cowboy's reply came out in the form of a whispered croak.

Drifting in and out of conciousness, he felt the newcomer helping him over to a...was that a winged horse, then he was assisted onto the animal's back and weakly grabbed at the reins to keep himself from falling off. His rescuer swung up behind him and moved to take the reins himself, using both arms to keep the weakened cowboy in place.

Feeling the horse take off, Vigilante glanced downwards, a tiny smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. They were heading back towards New York City and that meant a hospital before he slipped into unconciousness with one thought pushing its way forward, those filthy hawks hadn't won, he was going to live!


End file.
